The Boy Allies Under the Sea Part 16

CHAPTER IX.

JACK TO THE RESCUE.

Frank and Edwards both whirled hurriedly; and not a fathom's length away rode a second small boat; and standing forward were two men, their revolvers levelled directly at the heads of our friends.

"Up they go, Edwards," said Frank quietly, dropping his rifle and suiting the action to the word. "It's no use; they've got the drop on us."

"They have, sir," agreed Edwards.

His rifle also fell to the bottom of the boat with a clatter and his hands went in the air.

"Good!" said one of the men in the other boat. "You will please keep your hands where they are." He turned to his companion. "Fritz, you row closer, while I keep them covered."

The latter obeyed and soon the two boats sc.r.a.ped.

"Now you will please come aboard my boat," ordered their captor, still keeping them covered. "One false move and you are dead men. Come quickly now."

Frank realized there was no hope for it, so he obeyed without a word.

Edwards followed suit.

"Take your places forward there," commanded their captor.

The prisoners obeyed.

"Very good. Now, Fritz, row to the boat."

The latter dipped his oars in the water and the rowboat moved toward the motorboat, at which Frank and Edwards had so recently fired. There the first captor--the man who seemed to be in command--ordered Frank and Edwards over the side.

"Quick, now!" he commanded.

Frank climbed aboard first and as he rose to his feet there was the sound of a shot and the lad felt a bullet whistle past his ear. He dropped to the deck.

"Great Scott! I forgot about Jack being out there," he muttered. "He almost picked me off that time." He raised his voice in a shout. "Hey, Jack! quit that! It's me, Frank! We are prisoners!"

A moment later Edwards clambered over the side of the motorboat and this time there was no shot. Frank felt sure that Jack had heard him and understood the situation.

Now their two captors came quickly over the side and the first turned upon Frank.

"Who were you shouting to?" he demanded.

"Oh, just a friend of mine," replied Frank, with a slight shrug of his shoulders. "He's out there," and the lad waved an arm across the water.

"And what's he doing out there?"

"The same thing we were doing when you found us. Trying to get you fellows."

"Oh, I see," was the reply. "You had us between two fires, eh. It's lucky we put off before you got so close. We heard firing and came back to have a look around."

"Then that's the way you spotted us, eh?" said Frank. "I didn't think you could have got off without my seeing you."

The man made no reply to this, but turned quickly to the other.

"We'll have to get away from here at once, Fritz. Take the wheel."

The latter sprang aft with alacrity, while the first man leaned down and began to tinker with the engine. Frank took a quick step forward and seemed about to leap upon his captor, but the latter turned from the engine and a revolver was in his hand.

"I wouldn't if I were you," he said quietly.

Frank stepped back.

"Oh, all right," he said.

The little motorboat began to move.

The captor raised his voice.

"Hans! Franz!" he called.

There was no answer and after a moment he repeated his calls.

"If you were calling your men, I fear you are wasting time," said Frank quietly.

"What?" exclaimed his captor.

"Exactly," replied Frank. "It was necessary for us to shoot them before you were fortunate enough to find us."

"I see," replied the boy's captor slowly. "Well, I shall have more to say to you about that later."

He again began to tinker with the engine and the motorboat now increased its pace; and then, as the man raised his head to look at Frank, he perceived two dark figures suddenly clamber over the rail and dash toward him.

Frank saw them in the same instant.

"Jack!" he cried.

The German, for such Frank felt sure his captor was, rose quickly to his feet, revolver in hand. He raised it quickly, and pointing it at Jack, who was das.h.i.+ng forward closely followed by Williams, fired.

The distance was so close that a miss would have been impossible and Jack would probably have been killed had it not been for Frank.

The latter sprang quickly forward and seized the German's arm even as his finger pressed the trigger and the bullet went wild. With a muttered imprecation, the German whirled on Frank, reversed his revolver quickly and brought it down on the lad's head.

Frank fell to the deck without a groan and lay still.

At the same moment a shot from the helmsman struck Williams in the chest as he and Edwards dashed toward him and the man fell to the deck, mortally wounded.

Edwards, unarmed, dashed upon the other, but even as he would have grappled with the man, the latter dodged and Edwards went staggering by.

Before he could recover himself, the German had clubbed him over the head with his revolver b.u.t.t.